Page 74 of Whiskey and Wildfire

Daddy nodded, a hint of a smile on his weathered face. “I know you will, son. You’ve already proven yourselves.” He leaned forward in his chair. “And I hope you know, you’re one of the family. Always have been. You’ve been like a second son to me the moment you stepped on this ranch. I know I never said it because I’m not good at that sort of thing… but it’s true.” He leaned back, rocking in his chair, leaving Dakota stunnedinto silence. “Spending that much time in a hospital makes you realize how many things you left unsaid. I wasn’t gonna waste another chance to say it this time.”

Dakota stood there for a moment, clearly at a loss for words. His eyes glistened with emotion as he swallowed hard. “Thank you, sir,” he finally managed, his voice rough. “That... that means more to me than you know.”

I reached out and squeezed Dakota’s hand, feeling the slight tremble in his fingers. I knew how much my father’s words meant to him, having grown up without a supportive father of his own. All he’d ever wanted was to be loved and accepted. And here on Baker Ranch, that’s all he was ever gonna get.

“Well,” Daddy said gruffly, clearing his throat. “Now that we’ve got all that mushy stuff out of the way, why don’t you tell me more about these rodeo plans? Seems like there’s a lot I need to catch up on.”

Dakota nodded eagerly, pulling up a chair to sit with us. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, painting the sky in deep purples and blues, we filled Daddy in on all the changes we had planned for the ranch. Dakota’s eyes lit up as he described the new training facilities we wanted to build, his hands gesturing animatedly. He talked about expanding his cabin so we could both live there too. There were so many things he wanted to do now that we didn’t have to worry about debt hanging over our heads. I couldn’t help but smile, watching him come alive as he talked about our shared dreams for the future.

As night fell, the porch lights flickered on automatically, casting a warm glow over us. The air grew cooler, and I noticed Daddy starting to shiver slightly.

“We should probably head inside,” I said, standing up and stretching. “Ma’s gonna have dinner ready soon, and you need to rest, Daddy.”

He nodded, looking tired but content. “You’re right. After everythin’ that woman’s done for me, I don’t want her food to get cold.”

I helped him up and ushered him inside only to return a moment later, joining Dakota as he leaned against the porch railing. The night air was brisk, so I moved in close, wrapping my arm around his waist.

“Well,” I said with a contented sigh. “He’s home. Everything is back to rights again.”

Dakota matched my sigh, leaning his head onto my shoulder. “It feels good.”

“It does.”

We were silent for a long moment, just basking in one another’s presence.

I turned to face Dakota, taking in his profile in the soft glow of the porch light. He looked tired but content, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“You know,” I said softly, “I never properly thanked you for everything you’ve done these past few weeks. I couldn’t have gotten through all this without you.”

Dakota shook his head, his long hair swaying gently. “You don’t need to thank me, Logan. This place... it’s my home too. I’d do anything for it.” He paused, his brown eyes meeting mine. “For you.”

My heart swelled with emotion. I reached up, cupping his face in my hand. “I love you, Dakota Parker. More than I ever thought possible.”

He leaned into my touch, his eyes closing briefly. “I love you too, Logan Baker. You and this ranch... you’ve given me everything I never thought I’d have. And then some.”

Dakota’s words warmed me to my core. I pulled him closer, our foreheads touching as we stood there in the cool night air. The distant lowing of cattle and the chirping of crickets createda soothing backdrop to our intimate moment. We were home, both of us, and that’s where we’d stay.

“So,” I said, breaking the silence at last. “How was our investor’s first riding lesson today? Was he any good?”

“Jesus H. Christ, no,” Dakota scoffed. “That man took to riding like a cat to tap-dancing.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not.” He shook his head, looking out over the prairie with me. “But we’ve got all the time in the world to teach him now thanks to his generosity.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “We do.”

Epilogue: Dakota

TWO MONTHS LATER

“Kota Parker!” my mom called from down below. “You stop messin’ with those lights and get on in here. Supper’s ready!”

“Yes mom,” I sighed, tacking the last strand of multi-color lights into place. “I’m coming.” I glanced down at Logan who was holding the bottom of the ladder. “You can plug it all in now.”

He waited until I was off the ladder before flipping the switch on the surge protector. All at once the house lit up like a Christmas tree. Thousands of tiny lights hung from every ridge, gutter, and frame that would hold them. We’d spent the better part of three days putting them all up and as I stared with his arm wrapped around my waist, I knew it was all worth it.

“It’s a bit much, right?” Logan chuckled, his face lit up by all those tiny lights.

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